It is an honour and privilege for me to be here today to accept, on
behalf of the Government of Jamaica, the mantle of Chairmanship of the
G77 and China during 2005. This is a tremendous responsibility which
Jamaica undertakes with a deep sense of humility, optimism and a determination
to dedicate ourselves to the task.

I wish to express to the members of the Latin American and Caribbean
Group and the wider membership of the G77 our profound appreciation for
the confidence and trust that they have demonstrated in electing Jamaica
to the Chairmanship.

I would like also to pay tribute to the State of Qatar for its outstanding
stewardship in coordinating the work of the Group during 2004. We express
our profound appreciation to their Government and to the delegation here
in New York for the work they have done in advancing the interests of
the Group throughout the numerous deliberations and negotiations, especially
during the substantive session of the ECOSOC and the 59th Session of
the GA. Special mention also has to be made of Qatar's hosting of the
High Level Forum on Trade and Investment last December which helped to
identify new areas and openings for the mobilisation of South/South Co-operation.

Jamaica looks forward to continuing to collaborate and work closely
with Qatar during 2005.

I also welcome the President of the General Assembly, our Secretary-General
and the UNDP Administrator, whose presence here today underlines our
shared commitment and common purpose to strengthen the role of the UN
in advancing economic co-operation to promote development and to advance
the welfare of our peoples.

Role of the G77

We recall that the formation of the G77 in 1964 was a manifestation
of the need for collective action by developing countries to overcome
marginalization; to advance new values and principles of democratization
and multilateralism; to bring change in an inequitable system born out
of the colonial and imperialist era; and to promote a global development
strategy that takes account of the interests of developing countries.

Against the background of increasing wealth and increasing poverty,
evolving political and economic alignments and growing dominance of major
power centres, the underlying policy rationale which inspired the formation
of the Group of 77 and China has essentially remained unchanged, and
has been reconfirmed by the events and developments of the past 40 years,
most vividly in the 1990s.

The G77 has remained steadfast as a coalition keeping focus on the
needs and interests of developing countries. As the main voice of developing
countries on economic and social issues in the UN system, the Group has
created a platform for a more democratic global order. It has enhanced
the negotiating capacity of the South, and has played a pivotal role
in promoting an international agenda which takes account of the vital
interests of the developing world.

In the current global economic situation, the broadening dimensions
of globalisation are increasing the complexity of the challenges facing
us. We cannot afford to be left behind and must exert all efforts to
share in the benefits of global economic expansion. Our development has
to be driven by us and we should seek and exploit all available opportunities
for advancement. It is for us to shape our own destiny and therefore
we must aim to grow through self-reliance. At the same time, we must
not relent in our struggle for equity in the international economic system.
From market access, to technology issues and financial flows, we need
fairer rules and arrangements which provide better opportunities for
the developing world. For the vulnerable, disadvantaged and those with
special needs, there should be special arrangements. Poverty, hunger
and disease are the common enemies of mankind. They must be addressed
by the global community within the framework of international co-operation
and through the commitment of the necessary resources to ensure their
elimination.

Prospects for 2005

The year 2005 presents many challenges and opportunities for advancing
our development agenda. Several international meetings are scheduled
to take place which will demand the sustained and collective focus of
the Group. These include the reviews of the implementation of outcomes
of major Conferences and Summits, such as those on Social Development
and the Millennium Declaration which will be at Summit level. In all
of these deliberations and processes we should strive for action-oriented
proposals and for significant decisions and substantive outcomes. Special
attention must be paid to implementation and the creation of mechanisms
to ensure that concrete results emanate from the decisions taken.

G77 Priorities

During the period of Jamaica's Chairmanship, we hope to advance the
following as priorities:

(i) Increasing the Flow of Resources to Developing countries

Many decisions have been taken over the past few years; at Copenhagen,
the Millennium Summit, Johannesburg, Monterrey, all of which held out
the promise of significant flows of financial and other resources to
developing countries. Although taken within the consensus framework of
a partnership for development, what was agreed has not been fulfilled.
We therefore feel the need to renew the focus on implementation and expect
that especially within the context of the Five-year Review of Implementation
of the MDGs at the forthcoming 60th Session, serious decisions will be
taken not only on the mobilisation of new resources but on the creation
of monitoring and implementing mechanisms to advance this objective.
Of course, we should not think solely in terms of traditional sources
such as ODA and private investment but should continue to explore

new and innovative sources which should be additional and complementary
to these traditional financial flows. We also should seek ways to increase
the effectiveness of technical assistance, especially through the reduction
of transaction and administrative costs. We also must express concern
at the increasing range of conditionalities imposed on development assistance,
especially from certain bilateral donors, which has now crept into the
programmes of multilateral financial institutions.

(ii) Improvements in global governance

In the interest of developing countries, it is also imperative that
we address systemic inequities in the international economic system to
redress the balance that has for so long worked against the interests
of the developing world. Global policy making in relation to finance,
trade and technology is firmly within the control of the dominant powers
in the North. In light of the current imbalances and disequilibria leading
to increasing disparities between rich and poor, there is need for corrective
measures. We have to insist on having a greater voice and increased participation
in global policy-making. There is also need for better management of
the global economy, so essential during this era of globalization, and
for better arrangements within the multilateral institutions for co-ordination
and for the formulation of policy guidelines to ensure coherence. For
all of this, there is no better place than the United Nations. Global
policy co-operation and macro-economic management would help to stabilize
the system and avoid the recurrence of crisis. As it now stands fluctuations
in financial flows, instability in currency markets and the volatility
in commodity prices can generate a crisis having a global impact. It
is therefore in the interests of all to promote better arrangements for
global economic management and we also believe that we should seek to
empower the Economic and Social Council to fulfill this role.

(iii) Formulation of a Development Agenda

Third, we believe it is time to formulate a common agenda for the Group
which will define the kind of world economic order we should promote
in this era of globalization. The elaboration of such a platform would
serve the purpose of identifying in a coherent structure what are the
policies and institutional arrangements which would cater to our economic
interests. Such a platform would also serve to strengthen the bonds within
our membership and maintain the cohesion which is critical to our continued
vitality and effectiveness. Solidarity between us in this Group must
always be maintained and during the Jamaica chairmanship it will be our
endeavour to increase its strength.

(iv) Enhancing South/South Co-operation

Later this year, we will be holding the Second South Summit which the
Government of Qatar has graciously offered to host in June. It will review
the Havana Programme of Action to determine what additional measures
or initiatives should be adopted to give further impetus to strengthening
cooperation between the nations of the South. While the links have been
expanding, there is need for increased momentum, particularly in trade
and investment relations. Contacts between counterpart institutions and
business entities have to be actively encouraged and promoted. Governments
should be seen as being integral in this process.

(v) Disaster Management and Relief

The disasters following the recent earthquake and tsunami which devastated
islands and coastal states in the Indian ocean have dramatically demonstrated
how vulnerable states can be overwhelmed by a sudden calamity. Apart
from the grief and sorrow occasioned by the loss of life, the economic
loss from the destruction of infrastructure and the means of livelihood
are an enormous setback for those affected, especially when they are
all developing countries. In our own Caribbean we live under the constant
threat of hurricanes and recurring cycles of destruction and recovery.
Many in our Group have to also contend with potential disastrous consequences
from climate change. Disaster Prevention and management and recovery
efforts should now be recognized as being of such dimensions as to require
global solutions. We believe that new mechanisms should be explored particularly
to improve prevention and to cope with relief and reconstruction efforts.

Relations with other Groups

Turning now to our operations in 2005, I can assure the Group that
we will continue to maintain close co-operation with the Non-Aligned
Group through the Joint Co-ordinating Committee. We also intend to work
closely with the South Centre which provides valuable inputs into our
work.

We will also continue to work constructively with our partners in the
North to advance development co-operation in the broadest sense and especially
to reduce poverty and its attendant maladies. Our co-operation must reflect
a partnership which preserves the rights and interests of all parties.
The terms on which co-operation is conducted should not endanger sovereign
rights or restrict the development options available to developing countries.
The enforcement of conditionalities and coercive measures should never
become accepted as the price for economic co-operation. Diversity in
economic and social systems is part of the reality of our world. For
such diversity, different models emerge anchored in their own cultural
and historical experience. Within the Group of 77 and China, we respect
diversity and the right of each state to determine its own social, political
and economic system. These principles are dear to the developing countries
and under Jamaica's chairmanship everything will be done to safeguard
them.

In closing, let me once again reaffirm our determination and our dedication
to work to advance our common objectives in 2005 and to make progress
towards a more equitable and inclusive global economic system.